Astragalus not Aspirin: Kick your Cold Naturally

During cold and flu season, the truth of the situation is most of us aren’t into feeling sick, missing work or social events – basically putting life on hold. That means the solution is usually to go straight for the sleep aids, decongestants, pain killers, even antibiotics.

I’m here to tell you that heading in that direction is a bad idea. Here’s why:

Sleep aids made for cold and flu symptoms often contain pain killers, the dangers of which are detailed later, and fever reducers. Fevers are the body’s natural means to fight off infection and often rise at night; unless a fever creeps close to 105 or higher, it’s better to ride it out.

Decongestants do a lot for symptom control by reducing swollen blood vessels, but not a lot for actually helping your body to get rid of excess mucous.

Pain killers like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen come with a whole host of issues, depending on the type: kidney trouble, liver issues, erosion of the stomach lining – especially the way many people reach for them at any little bit of pain. On top of all that, the more you use them, the more you need them; have to continually increase the dose or move on to stronger stuff the more your rely on them, increasing the risks

Antibiotics completely ineffective against viral infections like cold and flu. Despite this, many doctors prescribe them anyways! When you take them unnecessarily, you wipe out one of your body’s most important defense mechanisms; the gut flora. Antibiotics get rid of the good AND the bad stuff.

Sounds brutal, no? Thankfully, there are natural options that can help you manage symptoms and support your body to fight off the virus:

For Prevention: Echinacea and Astragalus – First of all, I think we can ALL agree that not getting a cold or the flu at all is the best option. Get a good Echinacea or Astragalus tea and start sipping. Many people turn to these immune boosters once they have a cold or flu, but it’s actually better to take them during the winter months preventatively.

For Sleep: Tea – Try some passion flower and chamomile tea (1 bag of each). Turn off Netflix, make sure the room is dark, and prop your head up if you’re congested.

For Congestion: Ginger – Ginger is great for breaking up mucous lodged in the sinus cavity, even more so as a hot tea. As a bonus, you’ll boost your fluid intake which will dilute mucous and get it moving out of your system.

For Pain: Magnesium – Magnesium relaxes muscles and lubricates joints, and is helpful for ALL pain related to colds and flu, from body aches to sore throat. Use magnesium internally as a supplement, locally as a gel, or add Epsom salts to the bath.

To Fight the Virus: Vitamin C and Probiotics – Vitamin C boosts the effectiveness of the immune system’s front line fighters – white blood cells. And while antibiotics wipe out good bacteria, high quality probiotics will repopulate the digestive tract with good bacteria and boost one of the body’s strongest defense mechanisms.

Any steps toward a more natural approach to common health concerns is a step in the right direction. Take one or take them all. You know where you are in your health journey and what is right for you.

So stay cold- and flu-free this winter and, as always, take what you want and leave the rest.

What is color therapy? Color therapy says that we are energetic beings, that all things…

October 27, 2015

Listen: I get it. Life is busy and it’s not unusual to feel short for…

FEEL BETTER, FASTER

At Whole Life Balance, we believe in real human connection. Our heart-centered operation is a one-stop-shop for holistic wellness, offering state-of-the-art wellness and training so that you can save time and feel your best.

I received Chiropractic treatment from Carmel and she was amazing. She assessed me and developed a plan based on my body's needs. She suggested a series of diverse methods based on my comfort level and what she thought was the most effective treatment. Then she started getting to work and I felt relief immediately! I 100% recommend Carmel.

I stumbled upon Whole Life Balance one Saturday when I was urgently looking to get a massage treatment for my neck pain. I normally visit a sports rehab clinic that is out of the way and closed on weekends. Lucky for me, I ended up finding specialists who are better than the rehab clinic I had been going to for months, and to top it off, the service/experience is exceptional. They really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and taken care of. During my first visit I received a massage from Katie, and it was wonderful. I was then recommended to the chiropractor because my issue was a little deeper. When I first met with the chiro, Dr. Carmel Bachar, I was apprehensive because of past experiences. However, right away, Carmel was very diligent and thorough with her discovery questions so she could apply the appropriate course of treatment. I have never experienced this type of care in my life and it has been very refreshing. I've been seeing her now for a short 1.5 weeks and my neck pain is virtually gone. Just one more treatment and I should be good to go. HIGHLY recommend!!

I suffer from chronic neck and back pain so there is not a day that goes by where I am not hurting. I was in an unbearable amount of pain one morning and Whole Life Balance moved things around to accommodate a last minute massage appointment. So glad that they did because, this is when I met Katie.
Katie turned out to be by far one of the best RMTs I have ever received treatment from. She's got great energy and I love how she incorporates essential oils and cupping as part of the experience. BTW, the cupping technique itself is amazing! Again, being someone that has a lot of back pain, I've received a lot of massages. But the cupping has taken my pain relief to another level. Thanks to Katie, cupping will forever be part of my life.
If you have back pain - go see Katie !

This place is awesome! The atmosphere and staff (especially Sandra–who gave me one of the best customer service experiences I've ever had) are great. I'd recommend Whole Life Balance for that reason alone. But the IV drip was even better! I showed up on a Friday night after a very long week and got the Stamina Drip. When I left, I felt like a Saturday morning and a million bucks. It brought me back to life when I was exhausted. Will definitely go again.

I'm a relatively active and healthy and have never experienced upper back/neck pain, until recently. Being active, I’ve had an assortment of other injuries but this one worried me as I couldn’t sit or stand without pain – and in certain positions/movements, extreme pain. I had never seen a chiropractor before as I’m apprehensive with adjustments, but had heard positive things about Dr. Bachar at Whole Life Balance, so booked an appointment. Dr. Bachar was thorough in her assessment and great at providing options around a treatment approach – including acupuncture and deep muscle release, as she knew I was uneasy with adjustments. The results? Complete success! Felt great immediately after and even better the following days. I decided to play it safe and not work out for a week, although I didn’t feel any further pain. One week later I began my regular workouts and no sign of pain at all - well, at least not back pain! =) Thank you Dr. Bachar!

Dr. Carmel Bachar is the real deal, I am a very active person, training 5-6 time a week, softball, hip hop etc. I definitely have my share of sport injuries. I have had bad experiences with previous chiropractors and needing many sessions before seeing results- or no result at all.
On my first appointment i soon realized that I was in good hands
(no punt intended) I felt 70% better right after the initial session.
The second time i came for a different issue and she used all her knowledge and experience to help the pain and discomfort in my shoulder. I was able to play my softball game the next day. in my most recent visit i was unable to reach my shoulder due of elbow injury involving my triceps, In less than 30 minutes of chiropractic treatment and acupuncture I was able to reach over my shoulder without pain.
I believe that Dr. Carmel Bachar's knowledge and professional experience can help you as much as she has been helping me in the past few months. She seem to always find the right treatment for all different scenario its like magic...make your pain go away...
Thank you Dr. Carmel Bachar for being so passionate and care so much about your patients well being...
Gemil